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54-523: The first aircraft, an Airco DH.9 , that landed in Nigeria, landed in Maiduguri in 1925 This article about a Nigerian building or structure related topic is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about an airport in Nigeria is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Airco DH.9 The Airco DH.9 (from de Havilland 9) – also known after 1920 as

108-459: A World Altitude Record of 30,500 ft (9,300 m) on 2 January 1919. However, none of these options were deemed to be entirely satisfactory, it required being redesigned into the DH.9A, for which an American V-12 Liberty engine was adopted, to transform the aircraft. According to Bruce, aside from the engine issue: "Certainly, there was little wrong with the aircraft itself". The Airco DH.9

162-477: A bombing mission upon bridges at Falvy and Bethencourt , shot down four hostile fighters while defending against repeated attacks upon the formation. In another instance, Captain John Stevenson Stubbs achieved 11 aerial victories in a DH.9, including the highly unusual feat of balloon busting while flying the type. Despite its general lack of performance, due to its large numbers, the DH.9

216-401: A conventional wire-braced box girder structure was used aft of the cockpits. Internal stowage for a pair of 230 lb (100 kg) or four 112 lb (51 kg) bombs was provided for, although little use of this capability was made operationally. While the DH.9 was deemed to be suitable for daytime bombing operations, it was found to be incapable of effective nighttime bombing due to

270-456: A month. According to aviation author J.M Bruce, the selection of the DH.9 "seems to have been taken in a spirit of optimism or blind faith, for its chosen engine was, in July 1917, experiencing serious manufacturing difficulties". In July 1917, the prototype (a converted DH.4) performed its maiden flight from Hendon Aerodrome , Colindale , London . Trials of the type were extensive, including

324-479: A number of tests performed at RAF Martlesham Heath . Unfortunately, the BHP engine proved unable to reliably deliver its expected power; the engine having been de-rated to 230 hp (170 kW) in order to improve its reliability. This deficit had a drastic effect on the aircraft's performance, especially at high altitude, with it being inferior to that of the DH.4 it was supposed to replace. The poor performance of

378-586: A number that were operated by the Royal Netherlands Air Force . Surprisingly, production was allowed to continue after the end of the war into 1919. In 1920, the DH.9 was finally withdrawn from service by the RAF. In addition to British manufacturing, several other countries had commenced production of the type; perhaps the most significant of these was the Airco DH.9A , which was fitted with

432-562: Is a former Royal Air Force station located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of Woodbridge , Suffolk , England . It was active between 1917 and 1963, and played an important role in the development of airborne radar. Martlesham Heath was first used as a Royal Flying Corps airfield during the First World War . In 1917 it became home to the Aeroplane Experimental Unit, RFC which moved from Upavon with

486-792: The Aircraft Disposal Company . (Part of Imperial Gift ) Of the thousands of DH.9s built, only a few survived to be preserved: In 2000, the remains of three DH.9s were discovered in India and two were retrieved for restoration in the UK. Of these, Data from The British Bomber since 1914 , Aircraft Profile No. 62: The de Havilland D.H.9 General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era RAF Martlesham Heath Royal Air Force Martlesham Heath or more simply RAF Martlesham Heath

540-753: The Battle of Sakarya previous year, sometime in July 1921. This machine was quickly repaired and was flown to Ankara in August 1921 by famous pilot Vecihi Hürkuş . It was named "Ismet". It was deployed, as the only Turkish airplane at the time, in the last phases of the Battle of Sakarya, making a total of 23 sorties, mostly by Vecihi. Same airplane continued to serve for the remaining of the War of Independence through 1922. There were three more Greek DH.9s found in excellent condition, with plenty of spare parts, near İzmir after

594-537: The airborne attack on the Netherlands . The group flew its last combat mission, escorting B-17's dropping propaganda leaflets, on 7 May 1945. It returned to Camp Kilmer New Jersey and was inactivated on 10 November 1945. With the departure of the USAAF, the airfield reverted to the RAF. In the immediate postwar years, Fighter Command squadrons were in residence at Martlesham but the proximity to Ipswich and

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648-485: The de Havilland DH.9 – is a British single-engined biplane bomber that was developed and deployed during the First World War . The DH.9 was a development of Airco 's earlier successful DH.4 , with which it shared many components. These were mated to an all-new fuselage and the 230 hp BHP engine, which promised increased performance. Anticipating its usefulness, the type was ordered in very large numbers for Britain's Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Upon entering service,

702-448: The gunner/observer and away from the engine and fuel tank, which facilitated communication and was a more optimal fighting configuration. The other major change from the DH.4 was the choice of the promising new B.H.P engine, which was predicted to produce 300 hp (220 kW) to provide adequate performance to match enemy fighters. Based on the performance estimates for the DH.9 (which were initially expected to surpass those of

756-629: The 1920s. No. 64 arrived in the 1930s. The A&AEE moved to RAF Boscombe Down on 9 September 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War and Martlesham then became the most northerly station of No. 11 Group RAF , Fighter Command . Squadrons of Bristol Blenheim bombers, Hawker Hurricanes , Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Typhoons operated from this airfield, and among the many pilots based there were such famous men as Robert Stanford Tuck , and Squadron Leader Douglas Bader , there as Commanding Officer of 242 Squadron . Ian Smith ,

810-495: The 356th engaged primarily in bombing and strafing missions after 3 January 1944, with its targets including U-boat installations, barges, shipyards, aerodromes, hangars, marshalling yards, locomotives, trucks, oil facilities, flak towers , and radar stations. Bombed and strafed in the Arnhem area on 17, 18, and 23 September 1944 to neutralize enemy gun emplacements, and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for this contribution to

864-673: The American V-12 Liberty engine, and was produced in the thousands even though production was curtailed by the signing of the Armistice that had ended the First World War. Belgium and Spain also produced the type, the latter producing hundreds of the type equipped with a 300 hp (220 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine; some of these were still in service in 1940. Following the end of the conflict, large numbers of surplus DH.9s became available at low prices and

918-461: The DH.4), and the similarity to the DH.4, which meant that it would be easy to convert production over to the new aircraft, it was decided to place a massive number of orders (totalling 4,630 aircraft) for the type prior to the aircraft even flying for the first time. Existing contracts originally placed for the DH.4 were also converted to the DH.9. The Air Board had been specifically assured that there would be an initial production delay of no more than

972-538: The DH.9 by the RAF was in support of the final campaign against Diiriye Guure in Somalia during January–February 1920. Amongst those aircraft used in Somalia, one DH.9 was modified to function as an air ambulance , being able to load and transport a single stretcher case, which was carried upon the upper longerons directly to the rear of the pilot's cockpit. Further ambulance conversions were performed, including

1026-623: The DH.9 were frequently a product of "the courage and determination of the pilots and observers that flew them". Squadrons would often implement their own home-built enhancements to their aircraft, such as enlarged carburetor air intakes and modified fuel mixture controls. Nevertheless, the type proved capable during some engagements; on 23 August 1918, a DH.9 flown by Lieutenant Arthur Rowe Spurling of 49 Squadron, with his observer, Sergeant Frank Bell , single-handedly attacked thirty Fokker D.VII fighters, downing five of them. On 9 August 1918, Lieutenant E.A. Simpson of 49 Squadron, while flying

1080-464: The DH.9 with a better engine. In August 1917, an order for 2,000 Fiat A12 engines was placed, intending to be delivered between January and June 1918 and used upon some production batches of the D.H9; however, deliveries of the Fiat engine were unsatisfactory. Another alternative powerplant was adopted in the form of the 430 hp (320 kW) Napier Lion engine; one such Lion-engined aircraft achieved

1134-486: The DH.9's performance was found to be unsatisfactory. The BHP engine was unreliable and failed to provide the expected power, which gave the DH.9 poorer performance than the aircraft it had been meant to replace. The performance deficit was blamed for the heavy losses they suffered over the Western Front . The redesigned DH.9A was fitted with a more powerful and reliable American Liberty L-12 engine which rectified

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1188-493: The East Coast, but 302 Heavy AA Battery also had a detachment stationed at Martlesham. The Luftwaffe began its offensive against RAF Fighter Command airfields in August. On 15 August the experimental Fighter-bomber unit Erprobungsgruppe 210 attacked RAF Martlesham Heath and a neighbouring signal station. The Hurricanes of No. 17 Squadron stationed at Martlesham were some 20 miles (32 km) out to sea looking for

1242-542: The Greek army pulled out hurriedly, having been routed by Kemalists in August 1922. These four planes served the young Turkish Air Force until 1925. After the end of the war, large numbers of surplus DH.9s became available, having been deemed to be surplus to requirements by their original military operators; accordingly, many were resold onto civil operators, such as by early aerial transport companies. Large numbers were modified to better perform as transport aircraft, such as

1296-597: The HAA guns on their way in and out. 99th HAA Regiment claimed that the raiders were disrupted by the fire, and the bomb damage was slight. In 1943, Martlesham Heath became one of a group of grass-surfaced airfields earmarked for use by fighters of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force . The airfield was assigned USAAF designation Station 369. The airfield was opened in May 1943 and

1350-458: The Harwich AA guns while withdrawing. The equivalent of seven Fighter Command squadrons had been ordered to intercept, but only a few reached Martlesham as the attackers were leaving. The damage to the airfield was extensive and took a full day to repair. On 27 October 1940 another daylight raid was made on Martlesham by about 40 Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter-bombers, which were engaged by

1404-585: The USAF and other US bases in the USA, Iceland, and the UK on the one hand, and Germany and Italy on the other. It linked via SHF voice and morse radio to Hillingdon, West London, and via large UHF tropo-scatter dishes to the ballistic early warning base at Fylingdales (Yorkshire), Flobecq (Belgium) and the Hook of Holland. Eventually, with additional capacity in mind, it acquired six steel masts. Its personnel were supplied from

1458-549: The aim of deterring the operations of enemy U-boats . Following the end of the First World War, a number of DH.9s operated by 47 Squadron and 221 Squadron were sent to southern Russia in 1919 in support of the White Russian Army of General Denikin , participating in the Russian Civil War . In this theatre, the aircraft were often operating within challenging conditions. The last combat use of

1512-506: The aircraft meant that the DH.9 would have to fight its way through enemy fighters, which could easily catch the DH.9 where the DH.4 could avoid many of these attacks. As early as November 1917, some officials, such as General Hugh Trenchard , raised repeated objections to the aircraft based upon its disappointing performance; however, in his response, President of the Air Council Sir William Weir started that "it

1566-599: The airfield in 1958 and left in 1961. After this the airfield reverted to care and maintenance status before the Air Ministry closed the facility on 25 April 1963. The USAF Radio Relay Station & R/T Exchange In 1961 the US 3rd Air Force set up a radio signal station near the south-west corner of the airfield, just within Kesgrave parish, officially also called "Martlesham Heath". It relayed radio communication between

1620-548: The buildings and 3 masts remain. It is presently the home of the Suffolk Aviation Heritage Group Museum. (Sources: 2130 & 2164 Comms Sq. Record Books at US Air Force Maxwell base; US Technical Defense Information Center website online Honeywell tropo-scatter studies; UK Home Office radio frequency records at UK National Archive; East Suffolk Aviation Society websites, including USAF veterans' contributions; East Anglian Daily Times). With

1674-725: The cabin being suitably adapted for the carriage of passengers. In this role, the DH.9 provided a useful load carrying capability and was relatively inexpensive to procure. Accordingly, in various configurations, the type saw prolific use by civil operators. Early air services between London , Paris and Amsterdam were operated by a fleet of DH.9s owned by Aircraft Transport and Travel . A number of DH9s were converted into floatplanes and saw use in India , Bolivia and Rhodesia . Several aircraft were reconfigured to serve as trainer aircraft , being refitted with Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engines and rubber undercarriages; designated as DH.9Js,

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1728-484: The end of military control, Martlesham Heath has now become an industrial and dormitory satellite of Ipswich and the four prewar hangars and technical site buildings are now used for light industry and storage. Nearby, on the old RAF parade ground, stands a memorial erected to the memory of those members of the 356th Fighter Group who lost their lives in World War II. Part of the site of the airfield now contains

1782-668: The invasion of the Continent, and supporting the landings in Normandy and the subsequent Allied drive across France and Germany. The group flew Republic P-47 Thunderbolts until they were replaced by North American P-51 Mustangs in November 1944. From October 1943 until January 1944, they operated as escort for Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress / Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers that attacked such objectives as industrial areas, missile sites, airfields, and communications. Fighters from

1836-747: The last battle use by any user was in late 1922, during the Turkish War of Independence . Greeks had deployed a number of them against the Kemalists who were fighting the British supported Greek Army invading the remaining chunk of the Ottoman Empire after the 1918 Armistice of Mudros followed by the Sevres Treaty which was rejected by the nationalists. One of Greek DH.9s had made a forced landing behind Turkish lines near Muğla during

1890-555: The last of these were withdrawn and scrapped in 1936. A number of different DH.9 conversion programmes for civil use were carried out, both by Airco and its successor, the de Havilland Aircraft Company , and by other third party companies, such as the Aircraft Disposal Company . Some radial powered DH.9Js continued in civil use until 1936. One Dh.9 was transported to Japan during the Sempill Mission . A large number of Dh.9s were also apparently exported to China according to

1944-420: The nearby Bentwaters airbase. From 1966 its main building housed one of the two "AUTOVON" (US radio telephone automatic exchanges) in the UK. In June 1980, because of AFCC realignment in the UK, the squadron designation changed from Detachment 7,2130 Communications Squadron under RAF Croughton to Detachment 1,2164 Communications Squadron under RAF Bentwaters. Between 1988 and 1990 it progressively shut down, though

1998-525: The physical limitations on lengthening the runways restricted jet operation. In an effort to improve the station the main runway was extended in 1955. Early in 1946, the Bomb Ballistics and Blind Landing Unit moved in which, in 1950, was rechristened the Armament and Instrument Experimental Unit (A&IEU) remaining at Martlesham until disbanding in 1957. An RAF Police flight had also occupied

2052-493: The pilot's view being obstructed and visibility via the bombsight being unsuitable. The revised cockpit positioning of the DH.9 from the DH.4 placed the pilot and the observer closer together, which was viewed by the RAF as being a considerable advantage in aerial combat; however, the pilot's visibility for ground reconnaissance was decreased as a result. Both radio sets and cameras could be installed. The fuel tanks were enclosed in doped fabric, intended to drain fuel away if

2106-528: The post-war Rhodesian prime minister, was at Martlesham for a time. During the Battle of Britain , Anti-Aircraft (AA) defence for the area was the responsibility of the Harwich Gun Defence Area (GDA), manned by 99th (London Welsh) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery . The GDA's main focus was on the Port of Harwich, and in July 1940 there were almost daily attacks on shipping off

2160-467: The prior derating of its engine to reduce the failure rate. Between May and November 1918, a pair of squadrons stationed at the Western Front (Nos. 99 and 104 ) had 54 of its DH.9s shot down and another 94 aircraft written off due to accidents. On multiple occasions, less than half of a flight of bombers would reach their intended targets; according to Bruce, the successful missions performed by

2214-411: The raid among the many traces being plotted by the radar stations. The raiders (nearly 40 mixed ground attack aircraft with fighter escort) slipped through and spent five minutes over the target, bombing and Strafing , while the HAA gun detachment got off five rounds of Shrapnel shell , which was all they had to use against low-level attack. The raiders then got away without loss, despite being engaged by

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2268-412: The rate of production, quantity orders for the DH.9 were also placed with Alliance, G & J.Weir, Short Brothers, Vulcan, Waring & Gillow and National Aircraft Factories No. 1 and No. 2. The first deliveries of the type occurred during November 1917 to 108 Squadron RFC ; by the end of 1917, a total of five DH.9s had been delivered and passed their final inspections. The first combat engagement of

2322-649: The shortcomings of the original DH.9 model. During June 1917, partially as a result of attacks by German bombers on London , the War Office issued its recommendation to almost double the size of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to a total of 200 squadrons. In early July 1917, the British Cabinet accepted the recommendation, with the intention that the majority of the new squadrons planned to be equipped with bombers . While an order for 700 DH.4s

2376-758: The site named as the Aeroplane Experimental Station, next became the Aeroplane Experimental Establishment (Home) in 1920 and then the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) in 1924. The A&AEE carried the evaluation and testing of many of the aircraft types and much of the armament and other equipment that would later be used during the Second World War . No. 22 Squadron RAF and No. 15 Squadron RAF were present during

2430-563: The station from 1951–1953. The following year, the A&;IEU was disbanded and the station was retained in reserve status during which time an Air Sea Rescue helicopter unit was in residence. In 1958, another Reserve Flight arrived and a Station HQ formed; No. 11 Group Communications flight moved in to be followed by HO No. 11 Group. These units were deactivated by the end of 1960. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight moved to

2484-478: The tanks were hit by enemy fire. According to the testing squadron, the DH.9 possessed a high level of manoeuvrability, was relatively easy to perform landings aside from a poor view during the approach. Various improvements and supplementary equipment were trialled and occasionally adopted. Tests of various engines, radiators , silencers and parachutes were conducted to evaluate their performance, however, few of these improvements were ultimately adopted. During

2538-697: The type was widely exported; this included those aircraft that were donated to the Dominions as well as India as part of the Imperial Gift programme. The South African Air Force (SAAF) received a total of 48 DH.9s, and used them extensively, including against the Rand Revolt in 1922. Several South African aircraft were later re-engined with Bristol Jupiter radial engines as the M′pala ; such modified aircraft continued to serve until 1937. Possibly

2592-467: The type, performed over France, was performed in March 1918 by No. 6 Squadron RNAS . By July 1918, a total of nine operational squadrons deployed to the Western Front were using the type. The DH.9's performance in action over the Western Front was typically deemed to have been a disaster; heavy losses of the type were quickly incurred, attributed to both its poor performance and to engine failures, despite

2646-465: The war, numerous customisations and improvised improvements were made to the aircraft by the maintenance crews of individual squadrons, often for the purpose of addressing the type's engine performance issues. After the end of the war, many DH.9s, which had been originally delivered as bombers, were sold; these were often reconfigured to serve in different roles, including passenger and cargo transport, trainer aircraft , and as air ambulances . To boost

2700-444: Was a single-engine British bomber aircraft, sharing a high level of similarities with the preceding DH.4. The standard flight surfaces were broadly the same, but adopted a highly redesigned fuselage configuration, including the repositioning of the pilot's cockpit to a more rearwards position. Structurally, the fuselage was similar to its predecessor; plywood cladding covered the forward fuselage, which had no internal bracing, while

2754-652: Was first used by the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force 356th Fighter Group , arriving from RAF Goxhill on 5 October 1943. The group was under the command of the 67th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command . Aircraft of the 356th were identified by a magenta/blue diamond pattern around their cowling. The group consisted of the following squadrons: The 356th FG served in combat from October 1943, participating in operations that prepared for

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2808-596: Was introduced to nearly every theatre of the conflict prior to the signing of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 , which ended the conflict. Reportedly, the DH.9 was also more successful in combat against the Turkish forces in the Middle East , where they faced less aerial opposition. Stationed at coastal aerodromes across the British mainland, the type was also used extensively to perform coastal patrol missions with

2862-593: Was placed on 28 June 1917, on 23 July 1917, the Air Board were presented with drawings for a modified DH.4 that delivering greater range under a new type number, DH.9. The DH.9 was designed by de Havilland for the Aircraft Manufacturing Company in 1916 as a successor to the DH.4 . It used the wings and tail unit of the DH.4 but featured a modified fuselage which moved the pilot closer to

2916-688: Was the choice of having the DH.9 with the B.H.P. engine, or of having nothing at all. Additionally, by this point, production of the DH.9 was already well underway. BHP engines were produced by Siddeley-Deasy (developed as the Puma ) and Galloway Engineering (developed as the Adriatic ). In British military service both Siddeley and Galloway built engines were known as the 230 hp BHP although they had different dimensions and few interchangeable parts. The vast majority of BHP engines in service were built by Siddeley-Deasy. Multiple attempts were made to provide

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